1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lifting system that supports a conveyor to a structure and further lifts the conveyor to vary the angular position of the conveyor and control the flow of product into a transportable container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the prior art to have a lifting system that varies the vertical position of a conveyor end. The known systems are typically pivoted at a first end while a second end is allowed to rotate about the pivot to move the second end vertically.
An example of one such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,935 to Massey. The '935 patent discloses a combined sorter and conveyor for articles of considerable bulk or weight. The conveyor is broken down into a plurality of sections. Each section of the conveyor has a first end pivoted with a second end that is moveable between conveying and discharging positions. The movement of the second end is controlled by air cylinders and pistons.
Another example of one such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,555 to Rydell. The '555 patent discloses a conveyor system for stacking sheets of rigid material. The system includes an input conveyor that extends horizontally across the top of a base frame. The system further includes an elevator conveyor that extends forwardly from the base frame at a first pivot for vertically swinging between a raised and lowered position. The elevator conveyor has a receiving end and an exit end. A discharge conveyor is pivotally connected to the elevator conveyor at the exit end of the elevator conveyor. The discharge conveyor is provided in a horizontal level position to discharge the sheets of rigid material upon a stack. The sheets move along the elevator conveyor onto the discharge conveyor which deposits the sheets on top of the stack. As the sheets are discharged onto the stack from the machine, the elevator conveyor is automatically elevated about the first pivot to intermittently raise the discharge conveyor a distance equal to the thickness of the sheet. The first pivot is complex and includes a plurality of shafts journaled between two beams. The shafts carry sets of pulley wheels around which the conveyor belts are trained. The elevator conveyor uses multiple pulleys to maintain tension in the conveyor belt as the exit end of the elevator conveyor moves between the raised and lowered positions as the receiving end of the elevator conveyor remain stationary.